Valve-gear.



N6. 648,997. Patented May 8, I900. A. E. RHODES.

VALVE GEAR.

(Application filed. July 27, 1898.) I

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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'No. 648997. Patnted May a, 1900. A. E. nnom-zs.

VALVE GEAR.

(Application filed July 27, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED SrArE f PATENT QFFICE.

ALONZO EDWARD RHODES, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

VALVE-"GEAR;

srEoIrIoArIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,997, dated. Ma 8,1900. Application filed July 27,1898. Serial No. 687,056. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO EDWARD RHODES, a citizen of the United States, resid;

ing in Wilmington, in the county of New Gas a high speed valve-gear that will cost less to manufacture and which will control the passage of steam to and from the cylinder ina better manner than has been done. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of half of a single-acting steam-engine as usually constructed and showing a modified construction of my invention, the several parts of which will hereinafter be more fully described. Figs. 2 and 3 are front and end views of what I call the stationary cam and show the raised and depressed portions for imparting motion to thesteam-controlling valve and for causing said valve to be'station ary at other times, as more fully hereinafter I described. Figs. 4: and 5 are front and end views of the governore'controlled cam, showing part for forming a variable continuation of the steam-admission portion of the stationary cam.v Fig. 6 is an end view of'the' sta' tionary and governor-controlled cams as they appear when placed together in their proper position and showing how the steam-admission part of the stationary cam can be prolonged or shortened by the governor actuating the governor-controlled cam.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, 10 is the main frame of the engine.

11 is the cylinder in which the steam-piston 12 slides. Secured to the steam-piston is a connecting-rod 13, which is connected to and rotates a crank-shaft 1a in bearings 15. Se-

cured to the top end of the cylinder is a valve chamber 16, which is filled with steam andis 'ing a variable continuation of the raised portion 20 of thestationary cam 20, and thus determine the moment of cut-off or steam-ad'- mission closure. Secured to the crank-shaft is a fly-wheel 22 or any other suitable device for rotating the lever 23, which is fulcrumed at 23 and is adapted to be pushed out by the stationary cam 20. The free end of lever 23 passes through an opening 22 in the fly-wheel and crank-shaft and abuts against the end of lever 24: and pushes the same out an amount determined by stationary cam 20-. The said lever is connected tothe valve by means of the usual valvestem 25. Steam acting against the valvestem 25 tends to hold the lever 23 against the faces of cams 20 or 21 at all times. Now suppose the steam-piston is sliding down and rotating the top of fiy-wheel 22 away from front of engine, the valve 19 being stationary and steam entering the cylinder through the passage-way 17. Then steam willcontinue to enter the cylinder until the lever 23 meets the closing portion 21 of the governor-controlled cam 21, when the steam, acting upon the valve-stem 25, pushes the valve to cut-01f or steam admission closure position 20 Figs. 2 and 3. Steam is now working expansivelyin the cylinder. The valve 19 is stationary and remains so until the lever 23 meets theeXhaust-opening part 20 of the stationary cam 20,when steam, acting onthe valve-stem 25, pushes the valve to exhaustopening. The valve again remains stationary until it is pushed to exhaust closing andsteamadmission position by the lever 23 meeting the exhaust-closing and steam-opening portion 2O of-stationary cam 20,when the cycle IOO of admission of steam to the cylinder and ex hausting the steam from the cylinder after it has done its work is repeated.

I do not wish to confine myself to the construction shown and described, as there are many other modifications which can be made, whereby the same movements can be imparted to the valve by means of cams like mine, one of which is represented by Fig. 7, Sheet 2, in which the cams are rotated, and they impart motion to the steam-controlling valve through the lever 24 directly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a valve-gear, the combination of a .main cam formed of alternate straight and inclined parts, a governorcontrolled cam I formed of one straight and one inclined part and adapted for forming with the main cam 1 a cam-face of substantially the configuration shown and described, and a lever or levers inclined portions 20 and 20, an inclined por-' tion 20 between and connecting the last-mentioned straight portion and the straight portion 20*, and the governor-controlled cam 21 provided with a straight portion 21 and an inclined portion 21 all for forming a camface of such configuration as to cause the steam-controlling valve to be stationary during variable parts of the times of admission and expansion and during an unvarying part of the time of exhaust and for causing said valve to move from stationaryposition to stationary position quite rapidly, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a valve-gear, the combination of the main cam 20 provided with a cam-face formed of, first, an inclined portion for moving the steam-controllin g valve for closing to exhaust and opening for admission; second, a straight portion for holding the steam controlling valve stationary during part of the time of admission; third, another inclined portion connecting the admission and expansion controlling portions; fourth, another straight portion for holding the steam controlling valve stationary during practically all of the time of expansion; fifth, anotherinclined portion for permitting the steam controlling valve to be moved to exhaust position, and, sixth, another straight portion for holding the steam controlling valve stationary during practically all of the time of exhaust, and the governor-controlled cam 21 provided with a cam-face formed of one straight portion for holding the steam-controlling valve stationary during part of the time of admission and one inclined portion for pcrmittin g the steamcontrolling valve to be moved to expansion position, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a valve-gear, the combination of the main cam 20 provided with a cam-face formed of alternate straight and inclined parts, the governor-controlled cam 21 provided with a cam-face formed of a straight part 21 and an inclined part 21 and the lever 23 connected to the steam-controlling valve and adapted for being pushed in one direction by the inclined part 20 of the cam 20 and in the opposite direction bysteam or other elastic pressure, all for causing the steam -controlling valve to be stationary during an unvarying part of the time of exhaust and during variable parts of the times of admission and expansion, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a valve-gear, the combination of a main cam having a ca1n-face formed of three straight and three inclined portions placed alternately, a governor-controlled cam having a cam-face formed of one straight and one inclined portion, and a lever connected to the steam-controlling valve and held against the cam-face formed by the aforesaid cams by steam orotherfiexible pressure in such a manner as to cause the steam-controlling valve to be stationary during such times as the said lever is in contact with the straight portions of the aforesaid cams and to impart motion to said steam-controlling valve during such times as the aforesaid lever is in contact with the inclined portions of the aforesaid cams, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a valve-gear, the combination of the main cam 20, the governor-controlled cam 21, and the lever 23 connected to the steam-com trolling valve and held against the cam-face formed by said cams by steam or similar elastic pressure, all for causing the steam-controlling valve to, first, be stationary during a variable portion of the piston travel or time of admission, second, move rapidly to close to admission, third, be stationary during practically all of the time of expansiomfourth, move rapidly to open to exhaust, fifth, be stationary during practically all of the time of exhaust, and sixth, move rapidly to close to exhaust and open to admission, substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination, in a valve-gear, of a stationarycam provided with an exhaust-controlling portion and another portion adapted for opening and holding open the valve for steam-admission ,a governor-actuated cam for forming a variable continuation of said valveopening and holding-open portion of said stationary cam, a rotated lever connected to the steam-controllin g valve, and steam acting on the valvestem to hold said rotated lever against the faces of the aforesaid cams, all substantially as set forth.

8. In a valve-gear, the combination of the stationary cam 20, thegovernor-actuated cam 21 for forming a variable continuation of the steam-admission-controlling portion of cam steam acting on said valve-stem to hold the 20, the wheel 22, the lever 23 fulcrumed to lever 23 against the faces of the cams 20 and and rotated by the Wheel 22, the opening 22 21, all substantially as set forth.

in the hub of said. wheel and in the crank- A. EDWARD RHODES. 5 shaft 14 to receive the lever 23, the lever 24 Witnesses:

and the valve-stem 25 for connecting the le- HARRY W.-OHAIRS,

ver 23 to the steam-controlling valve, and JOHN S. JONES. 

